Past, Present, Future: Reading the Books 1
by UnknownUnseenUnheard
Summary: A mysterious man brings together the Marauders, Lily, Frank, Alice, and the Next Generation to Hogwarts to read the books as a favor to a friend. My version of reading the books, with people from the past and the future in Harry's fifth year. T for words.
1. The Timewarper

Well, this is my version of reading the books, though I've added the time twist to put all these people there at the same time. I'm also going to write a fic about how Keyro met James, Albus, and Lily and why he decided to do this for them. I thought it be interesting to add them all together and to see what would happen. I'll try to update on a daily basis. Reviews are always appreciated. Sorry for errors, I have no beta and I don't always catch all my mistakes when rereading.

There was a sudden bright flash of light in an empty room, devoid of any furniture and plain looking. As quickly as it had happened, it happened, again, then twice more the flash appeared. Dazed, four people looked around in confusion, unable to see a thing as there was no light in the room any longer.

* * *

"Lily, Lily, are you-"

"I'm right here James."

"James, Lily, is that you?"

"Ye-"

"Frank?"

"Alice?"

Suddenly, the lights flashed on, and the four looked up to see a man stepping through a door they had failed to notice. His dark eyes gazed at them all, his arms crossed. "James Potter, Lily Evans, Frank and Alice Longbottom. These are your names?" he asked.

"Who the hell are-"

The stranger held up his hand, "Are they your names, or do I have the wrong people?" he asked again.

The four looked to each other, before back at the man, and simply nodded.

At this, he gave a weak smile. "I have brought the four of you here to get to know your children, to get to know Harry and Neville-"

"What do you mean, get to know?" Lily asked, slightly frightened.

"In this time, you," he pointed at Lily, "and him," he pointed at James, "are dead."

They gasped slightly, but before any one could respond, the man looked towards Frank and Alice, and continued. "And these two suffered a fate worse than death, they where tortured into insanity by the Death Eater Bellatrix Lestrange.."

More gasps followed this, and Frank grabbed Alice. "How the hell do we know any of this is true?" Frank spat.

"Chose to believe me or not it changes not what is, and what must be...Normally, I would never interfere with the timeline, though after all the hell your grandchildren," he motioned to James and Lily, "To restore it after it was tampered with to disastrous scales, I will condone this once and only once, for them."

"Our grandchildren?" at the words, Lilt practically beamed, before becoming crestfallen at knowing she would never live to hold them in her arms..

"Yes, I'm going to take you all to 1995, to your sons, both of them, fifth year. This is serious magic though, and I'll probably have to erase your memories afterwords-"

"Then why are you taking us, if your just going to erase our memories?" James asked.

"For your grandchildren, and your sons, to know you. To get to meet you before the time is up. I cannot mess with the timeline, I cannot leave your memories intact after this since it might change everything and that can have disastrous results as we have already seen. Well, as I have seen considering all that happened.. The choice is yours, forward, or back?" the man offered.

The four look to each other, as if silently deciding, before turning back and nodding. The man beamed at them. "Good, now, wait here for a few minutes, when its time, the door will shine with a light after I've collected the others." he turned to depart, before stopping, and looking back one last time, directly at James. "I will ask you please not to reveal the identity of Padfoot until it comes up, which it will in due time, not even to them, for now." he motioned to those around the room.

"Sirius?" Lily asked confused.

The man nodded at her, before looking back at James. "Do I have your word, James Potter?"

"Yes." James nodded, anything to see his son.

The man smiled. "Good, this constitutes a binding verbal magical contract, your voice shall go mute if you try as extra insurance."

"Wait, what?" James demanded, eyes wide.

"It will return within the minute, nothing to worry about, good day." With that, he turned and departed, the door ceiling and leaving the four friends to look at each other and wonder, what the hell was going on?

In another room, something similar happened, except instead of four flashes, there where nine. The inhabitants looked around in each other in confusion.

"It worked!" Albus Potter exclaimed, excited.

"What worked, Al?" Teddy Lupin asked.

The room had become filled with the children of the future, the three Potters, Fred, Victorie, Rose and Hugo Weasley, and last of all, Scorpius Malfoy.

Before Al could answer, the door opened and in walked the same man that had brought James, Lily, Frank and Alice, some of the kids of the future looking at him with shock, save James, Albus, and Lily.

"Keyro, what are you doing here?" James asked.

"You know him?" Teddy asked.

"_Long _story..." Lily muttered.

"All of you, silence and I will explain." Keyro hissed, and some of them looked at him defiantly, but found no noise could escape their mouths. "On the request of young Albus here, I'm taking you all to the past to 1996, to, for you three," he motioned to the Potters, "To meet your grandparents, for the rest of you to know the through story behind your parents history, and to you," he motioned at Teddy, "To meet your own parents.."

"Wait, what?" Teddy said, excitement in his voice, "Actually meet them?" he asked, awed, a smile creeping onto his face, disregarding the impossibility of it all.

"Yes, though I ask you not reveal the secrets of the future just yet.. I'll enjoy watching everyone react differently. You can reveal yourselves to your parents if you like, but," he stopped here, looked at them all, "I ask that you, Victorie and Fred don't reveal that one yet, I want to see if they can figure it out, and I ask you three," he motioned to the Potters, "Not to reveal yourselves to mommy dearest yet as she has and your father aren't even together yet and if you reveal it to quickly, daddy will be shocked to say the least. And Scorpius, say nothing to mommy yet, she and daddy do not get along at this point. I'd say not to tell your father, but any fool can tell your his son, practically identical if you ask me.. If any of you don't want this, I can send you back now."

They shook their heads at him, and he took it as them wanting to stay. Keyro smiled, before looking at Albus. "Explain the rest if you will, I must get the few others that remain." with that, he turned, leaving them to gather the last group. He was going all out on this one if he was going to mess with time, he would gather practically everyone in his determination.

In the third and final room, the lights flashed, revealing Alastar Moody, Nymphadora Tonks, Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, Narcissa Malfoy, Arthur, Molly, Bill and Charlie Weasley, along with Fleur Delacour. They looked around at each other in confusion, before the door of the room opened and Keyro strode in.

Attention turned to him and they fell silent, Mad-Eye watching him suspiciously.

"You may be wondering why your here, very simple; I have been asked by the son of Harry Potter-"

"Harry doesn't have any-" Sirius began.

"His child from the future," Keyro interrupted, "As he helped me restore the timeline as it, sadly, was meant to be. They've asked for all your presences, and I've agreed to oblige. As added merit, I've brought four people from the past that many of you will be delighted to see. James and Lily, Frank and Alice, all that, in my opinion, you need to confirm I speak truth." Finishing these words, he lifted the silencing charm he had put to keep Sirius and Remus from interrupting.

"James?"

"Lily?"

"No magic can resurrect the dead." Mad-Eye spoke, looking at the stranger wearily.

"They haven't been resurrected, I've taken them from the past. Time is currently frozen in this plane of existence. Once we are done, I'm afraid events, as they where written, must come about.."

"What!" Sirius exclaimed, "You have the power to save them, you ha-"

"I cannot save them. Even a minuscule change in the past can cause catastrophic results, unbalances the whole of the universe. But you will get to see them one last time." Keyro replied.

Sirius looked mutinous, but he nodded.

"And why am I here?" Narcissa asked.

"Simple; I've brought your grandson from the future along as well."

"Why?"

"He is crucial to the future, which is all you need to know. I cannot elaborate. Come with me, and I'll take you all to your friends from the past."

Keyro turned, and they all followed, even Mad-Eye, who's electric blue magical eye was spinning about in every which direction, in case this was all some mysterious trap that they had walked into.

"I'm worried, James.. Why aren't we there for Harry, why doesn't he know about us?" Lily asked.

"I'm never, ever, letting you go, that bitch wont touch you, over my dead body!" Frank hissed as he held Alice against him tightly.

"I don't know, love, but were going to find out, I guess.." James replied.

Suddenly, the door opened and in walked the stranger, along with-

"Prongs!" Sirius exclaimed, running up to his brother and bringing both him and Lily into bone-breaking embraces, quickly followed by Remus, who gasped at first before doing the same at the sight of his old friends.

The others marched in right behind them, chat broke out, before Keyro interrupted; "I'll leave you all here for now, when the door shines bright, all of you leave, save Sirius, Remus, James and Lily.. So you can get reacquainted. You'll find that you'll become mute if you try to tell them of the future, any of you. Time to finish this.." Keyro muttered, turning and leaving the emotion filled room, a thing he could never stand..

Students piled into the Great Hall for breakfast, some talking about the brilliant way Dumbledore embarrassed the Toad when he hired Frienze the day before. However, something strange met their eyes; there where some new people up at the staff table, the Minister of Magic, Amelia Bones, and pompous looking as ever, Percy Weasley and a beaming Umbridge as if she had just swallowed an extremely juicy fly.

Harry looked at her suspiciously. What could make the Toad so happy, and why was Fudge here? He turned to Ron and Hermione to voice this, but before he could speak, the Toad stood and addressed them.

"Today we will finally know the truth about , the truth about all his dirty little lies, spread out before us." She beamed viciously as every head turned to look at a confused Harry.

"What?" he replied, confused.

"We have acquired a set of books that describe, in detail, the school years of Mister Potter-"

"Shut it, Umbridge, you hideous Toad." a voice hissed, and they all turned to see, there at the entrance to the Great Hall, Keyro.

"A, Mister Key-" Umbridge began, not even glaring at him angrily for insulting her since he was the one that made this all possible.

"I said silence, while I speak." Keyro spoke in a venomously quiet voice, and Umbridge obliged, fear in her evil little eyes.

Harry stood defiantly. "What is this about?" he demanded.

"Your life, Harry Potter. And the full truth behind it, all your secrets, and all the proof needed to confirm whether or not you are an attention seeking brat." Keyro replied, knowing full well what the boy would respond with.

"I am not an-" Harry hissed.

"I know, but they don't." he motioned to the rest of the people in the room, at which Umbridge turned a deep red in anger, he had told her that he would expose Potter's dirty lies!

Snape, on the other hand, scoffed. Potter was an attention seeking brat, that much was evident.

None spoke. Keyro had a way of instilling silence in a way neither Minerva nor Snape could manage, and he did it well. "I've brought a few people with me, some from the past, others from the future, and some from the present."

"What is this? Dolores, you told me this man would help expose Potter's lies, not spread some of his ow-"

"Cornelius Fudge, if you value living, something I believe you do, you will be silent." a dark aura practically spread about Keyro, and most looked at him in shock. Keyro looked back at the defiant Harry, and smiled at him. "I've brought your parents, and your as well.." he motioned to Neville, and both of the boys exchanged looked before turning back to Keyro, astounded.

Snape looked up at him, his eyes wide in longing. Lily? Was it- no, it was obviously a deception, his Lily was dead, gone forever..

"Mu- Mum?" Harry asked.

"You brought them here!" Neville hissed, standing up in rage, others looking at him confused.

"I brought them from the past, before _it_ happened.." Keyro said slowly, not wanting to reveal their dark fate. "And here they are!" he turned, lifted his hand towards the door, and light shined through it as James, Lily, Remus, Frank, Alice, and a great shaggy dog entered the Great Hall. Snape stared at Lily, to shocked to rush forward and apologize for everything, while Minerva's hands closed above her mouth as she stared in shock.

Jaws dropped as Harry and Neville stared hungrily at their parents, while others wondered what a great black dog was doing here, before Professor Treleway stood and screamed, "The Grim, the Grim!"

Gasps echoed the hall and Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Grim? This is Snuffles!" Remus laughed, "I assure you, I'd be dead a long time from now if it was the Grim.

"Mum? Dad?" Harry and Neville both said, and said parents smiled and nodded at them, both girls with tears in their eyes. With swiftness, the two boys, caring not that hundreds of eyes where upon them, rushed forth as fast as they could, reaching their parents and bringing them into their embrace. Some of the girls had tears in their eyes as they watched the reunited families.

A tear fell from Hermione's eyes, and she felt a hand clasp around her own, looking up and seeing Ron's face, and she smiled at his attempt to comfort her. It was so sad that both Harry and Neville had lost their parents, sad to see how in near desperation they jumped at them, but there was a little joy there too; they where reunited, and that was what mattered in the end.

"Enough, please sit before I regret ever agreeing to this..." Keyro said, slightly disgusted at the show of emotions. He couldn't let his heart feel them again, it was far to dangerous for the future...

They nodded at him, the group moving towards the Gryffindor table where they all sat down.

"Now, there are more.." Keyro spoke, motioning to the doors, they shined again and in walked the members of the Order of the Phoenix, along with Narcissa, Moody still looking around suspiciously.

"Mum?" Draco asked, incredulous, and she quickly strode towards her son, sitting next to him. When he tried to question, she put her finger to her lips and told him to wait. The Order members each took seats at the table, Molly looking sternly at her son who gulped, knowing that everything he had done over the years would be revealed. Some gaped at Fleur, who took a seat next to Bill, attempting to ignore the stares.

"Now, we have a few more, this should be the last group. These are the people responsible for this little sojourn, a few people from the future.." Keyro spoke, motioning to the doors for a third and final time, and in came James Sirius, Albus Severus, Lily Luna(all three of whom had been instructed not to reveal their middle names, or that Ginny was their mother), Teddy Lupin(who practically ran at his parents, and embraced each of them, causing them to look at him in wonder since they had no idea who he was), Fred, Rose, Hugo(who had been instructed not to reveal their parents identities.. yet) and Victorie(Several of the males looked at her longingly, which she ignored, making her way towards her husband), both following behind their cousins, and finally, Scorpius, who spotted his father and went towards him, before a hand stopped him. Looking up at Keyro, he saw the man shake his head.

Keyro lifted his hand and a new table materialized, right in the middle of the hall, the other tables moving as the floor expanded. Many looked at him astounded, at which he laughed. "This is no great feat of magic, this hall is now in another plane of existence, one where time is still and I can manipulate. All those that I have brought, please sit at the new table, along with, let's see; Harry, Hermione, Luna, Neville, Draco, and, since I'm to lazy to list you all, the Weasleys."

"I'm not sitting next to those filthy blood traitors!" Draco hissed.

"Mr. Malfoy, hold your tongue!" Minerva exclaimed, and he shut up, looking at her with anger.

"Do it now, please, if you will." Keyro responded kindly, though the look in his eyes spoke otherwise. As Draco scoffed, standing and obeying, the Weasleys and half the hall glared at him. "Ah yes, I almost forgot. Astoria Greengrass, you as well, you have my full permission to smack Malfoy should he put a toe out of line."

She looked confused as eyes turned to her, but stood none the less, going forth and sitting next to the other Slytherins at the central table as Malfoy turned, looking at Scorpius, and asking, "Are you my son?"

"Yes." He said simple, then turned away, causing Draco to wonder why his son was mad at him..

"Now, let us begin, and I can finally sit and stop talking, since I honestly hate giving speeches, but as I am doing a friend a favor," he glanced at Albus, who smiled back, "I warn you all. While here, I will instantly intervene should any of you attack one another for something said in the books. Wait to the _very_ end." He lifted a book, where he had conveniently crossed out the title to keep any from guessing what it was about, other than the fact that it was Potter's first year.

"This will reveal the full truth, starting with Potter's first year."

"Wait, o you mean all my-"

"Secrets will be revealed." on the staff table, Fudge, Umbridge, and Percy smirked. Dumbledore had stayed quiet this entire time, staring forth in wonderment, and had been one of the few unsurprised by the mans blatant entrance, as he had come to Dumbledore in his office the night before and explained it all to him. "While we are here, time is frozen in the mortal world. You shall not leave, when it is time for rest, sleeping chambers shall appear, and when it is time to be fed, so shall food also appear. Now, who wants to read first." he held up the book.

Umbridge stood, here toad like eyes filled with a malevolent gleam. "I will." Harry groaned. Keyro levitated the book to her, and she took it, glancing at the first chapter. He then went and sat at the table, away from the others, who where still wondering who the hell he was, as Umbridge's falsely sweet voice echoed across the hall, "_**The Boy Who Lived**_".


	2. The Boy Who Lived

Authors Note; Prongs is James Potter I, James is James Potter II. Fred is Fred Weasley I, Freddie is Fred Weasley II. Lily is Lily Evans, Lils is Lily Potter II. Albus is Albus Potter and Dumbledore is Dumbledore.

Thanks for the review, each one is appreciated :) I'll try to update as often as possible.

91698Padfoot; Keyro is a random OC I created that can walk through time. I tossed him in so I could bring people from the past, present, and future all together.

_**"The Boy Who Lived"**_

**Mr. And Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.**

Umbridge read and Harry groaned. She looked up and smiled sweetly, before continuing.

**They were the last people you'd expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they just didn't hold with such nonsense.**

"Not the most interesting people, are they Harrykins?" Fred asked.

"Not in the slightest." Harry replied.

"Who are the Dursleys?" Lily asked.

"Your sister married a man named Vernon Dursley." Harry replied.

"Oh.." she said, quickly catching on.

"Hem hem!" the toad hissed before continuing.

**Mr. Dursley was the director of a firm called Grunnings, which made drills. He was a big, beefy man withhardly any neck, although he did have a very large mustache.**

"Very attractive sounding." George said sarcastically.

**Mrs. Dursley was thin and blonde and had nearly twice the usual amount of neck, which came in very useful as she spent so much of her time craningover garden fences, spying on the neighbors.**

"I see she hasn't changed.." Lily said, and Harry snorted.

**The Dursleys had a small son called Dudley and in their opinion there was no finer boy anywhere. The Dursleys had everything they wanted, but they also had a secret, and their greatest fear was thatsomebody would discover it. They didn't think they could bear it if anyone found out about the Potters.**

"What!" half the hall exploded.

"Whats wrong with us?" Prongs asked, and Snuffles barked, looking at his son.

"You'll see.." Harry muttered, and Umbridge continued.

**Mrs. Potter was Mrs. Dursley's sister, but they hadn't met for several years; in fact, Mrs. Dursley pretendedshe didn't have a sister, because her sister and her good-for-nothing husband were as unDursleyish as itwas possible to be.**

Lily gasped, hurt.

"There is nothing wrong with Lily!" Minerva hissed, and several others looked outraged.

"That's not even a word.." Hermione muttered, and the kids from the future snorted. She didn't change much, it seemed.

**The Dursleys shuddered to think what the neighbors would say if the Potters arrived in the street. The Dursleys knew that the Potters had a small son, too, but they had never even seen him. This boy was another good reason for keeping the Potters away; they didn't want Dudley mixing with a child like that.**

"Neither would I, he's and angry git." Ron teased.

"Oi!" Harry yelled, a grin painted on his face replacing the scowl at the words from the book.

**When Mr. And Mrs. Dursley woke up on the dull, gray Tuesday our story starts, there was nothing about the cloudy sky outside to suggest that strange and mysterious things would soon be happening all over the country. Mr. Dursley hummed as he picked out his most boring tie for work,**

"Harry, are you sure your related to these people?" Seamus asked.

"Sadly, yes." Harry replied, causing his parents to exchange dark looks at his tone. What did that mean?

**and Mrs. Dursley gossipedaway happily as she wrestled a screaming Dudley into his high chair. None of them noticed a large, tawny owl flutter past the window. At half past eight, Mr. Dursley picked up his briefcase, pecked Mrs. Dursley on the cheek, and tried to kiss Dudley good-bye but missed, because Dudley was now having a tantrum and throwing his cereal at the walls.**

"Even then he was a prat.." Harry muttered, whilst Snape mused that this was exactly the way Potter had been raised, why he was such am attention seeking arrogant brat so much like his strutting father before him.

**"Little tyke, " chortled Mr. Dursley as he left the house.**

"He actually encourages that behavior?" Minerva said, astounded, while others looked slightly shocked at the bad parenting skills the Dursleys potrayed.

"Everything Duddykins does is oh so perfect." Harry replied, and the hall roared with laughter.

"Duddykins?" George said, laughing.

"That's not even the half of the-"

"Hem, hem!"

**He got into his car and backed out of numberfour's drive. It was on the corner of the street that he noticed the first sign of something peculiar - a cat reading a map.**

"Cats don't read maps, bloody Muggle is loosing it." Malfoy scoffed. Astoria smacked him and Harry laughed, causing people to look at him in confusion.

Harry quickly realized that he laughed at something Malfoy had said, and his mouth closed. "Sorry, but I couldn't of put that better myself, Malfoy." Harry told him

**For a second, Mr. Dursley didn't realize what he had seen - then he jerked his head around to look again. There was a tabby cat standing on the corner of Privet Drive, but there wasn't a map in sight. What could he have been thinking of? It must have been a trick of the light. Mr. Dursley blinked and stared at the cat. It stared back. As Mr. Dursley drove around the corner and up the road, he watched the cat in hismirror. It was now reading the sign that said Privet Drive - no, looking at the sign; cats couldn't read maps or signs.**

"Unless its an animagu- Minnie, is that you?" Prongs asked.

"Minnie?" a few people asked.

"James Potter, you know full well not to call me that!" Minerva hissed at the nickname, causing several to laugh.

**Mr. Dursley gave himself a little shake and put the cat out of his mind. As he drove toward town he thought of nothing except a large order of drills he was hoping to get that day. But on the edge of town, drills were driven out of his mind by something else. As he sat in the usual morning traffic jam, he couldn't help noticing that there seemed to be a lot of strangely dressed people about. People in cloaks.**

"What is he talking about, cloaks are perfectly normal!" James huffed.

"Not to Muggles, James." Rose rolled her eyes at her cousin.

"Well, how was I suppose to know that?" James asked.

"Didn't you take Muggle Studies?" Freddie asked, and James blushed crimson.

"You didn't pay attention at all, did you?" Rose glared, and the older boy squirmed, causing several to laugh.

"Good one Rose." Scorpius high-fived her, causing many to look at them curiously.

**Mr. Dursley couldn't bear people who dressed in funny clothes - the get ups you saw on young people! He supposed this was some stupid new fashion. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel and his eyes fell on a huddle of these weirdos standing quite close by.**

"Mate, your uncle is one strange guy."

"Walrus, Ron. One strange walrus." Harry replied, earning several chuckles.

"Harry!" Lily and Prongs exclaimed, one reprimanding him, the other applauding. At this, Lily glared at her husband and he shifted uncomfortably in his seat, causing several to laugh and Snape to smirk.

**They were whispering excitedly together. Mr. Dursley was enraged to see that a couple of them weren't young at all; why, that man had to be older than he was, and wearing an emerald-green cloak! The nerve of him!**

"Are they _trying_ to expose us?" Minerva huffed, and at this, James and Freddie exchanged looks.

"You two try it and I'll curse you into oblivion." Teddy told them sternly and they both pouted at him.

"Us?" James.

"Scare innocent Muggles?" Freddie.

"Never!" James.

"James Potter, I swear if you try anything, you wont play Quidditch for a month." Harry hissed, and James backed of.

"Sorry Dad!" he exclaimed, and several laughed at the fact that that the younger was reprimanding the older.

**But then it struck Mr. Dursley that this was probably some silly stunt - these people were obviously collecting for something... Yes, that would be it.**

"Bless him, Muggles will go to any extent to avoid believing in magic." Arthur said.

"Curse him." Harry, and most of the kids from the future, excluding Victorie, Rose(who rolled her eyes) and Scorpius(who didn't know the full story.)

"Harry James Potter!" his mother reprimanded.

"He's evil." Harry simple said, people exchanging looks. What could this man have possibly done to be considered evil in the eyes of a noble git like Harry Potter?

**The traffic moved on and a few minutes later, Mr. Dursley arrived in the Grunnings parking lot, his mind back on drills. Mr. Dursley always sat with his back to the window in his office on the ninth floor. If he hadn't, he might have found it harder to concentrate on drills that morning. He didn't see the owls swoop ing past in broadday light, though people down in the street did; they pointed and gazed open mouthed as owl after owl sped overhead.**

"Whats so amazing about that?" a Slytherin sneered.

"In the Muggle world, to see owls during the day is an unusual thing." Professor Burbage replied.

**Most of them had never seen an owl even at nighttime. Mr. Dursley, however, had aperfectly normal, owl-free morning. He yelled at five different people. He made several importanttelephone calls and shouted a bit more.**

"I don't like this man.." Cho mused from the Ravenclaw table.

"You don't know the half of it." Harry called back.

**He was in a very good mood until lunchtime, when he thought he'd stretch his legs and walk across the road**

"Uncle Vernon, exercising? The world is ending!" Harry said, causing several to laugh and others to look at him in disgust at insulting the man who raised him(none of them knowing what kind of man Vernon Dursley was)

**to buy himself a bun from the bakery.**

"Oh, that makes sense then." Harry said, causing more laughter.

**He'd forgotten all about the people in cloaks until he passed a group of them next to the baker's. He eyed them angrily as he passed. He didn't know why, but they made him uneasy.**

"They haven't done anything to you." Hermione scoffed. Meanwhile, Lily was in deep thought. This was the man her sister married? He seemed to be a very unpleasant, unaccepting block if you asked her...

**This bunch were whispering excitedly, too, and he couldn't see a single collecting tin. It was on his way back past them, clutching a large doughnut in a bag, that he caught a few words of what they were saying.**

**"The Potters, that's right, that's what I heard yes, their son, Harry"**

Most of the hall turned to look at Harry, who looked down at the table. So, it was _that_ day. He felt a small warm hand grasp his own, and looked up to see Ginny, who smiled meekly at him. Warmth shot through him and he smiled back.

**Mr. Dursley stopped dead.**

"I wish."

"HARRY!" both his parents reprimanded, though he said nothing.

**Fear flooded him. He looked back at the whisperers as if he wanted to say something to them, but thought better of it. He dashed back across the road, hurried up to his office, snapped at his secretary not to disturb him, seized his telephone, and had almost finished dialing his home number when he changed his mind. He put the receiver back down and stroked his mustache, thinking...**

"He can think? Blimey, I didn't know.." Harry said.

**No, he was being stupid.**

"No surprise there." Most of the hall chanted.

**Potter wasn't such an unusual name. He was sure there were lots of people called Potter who had a son called Harry. Come to think of it, he wasn't even sure his nephew was called Harry.**

"He doesn't even know your name?" Lily's eyes narrowed.

"He still doesn't know it." Harry shrugged, causing several people to hiss with anger.

**He'd never even seen the boy.**

More hissing.

**It might have been Harvey. Or Harold.**

"Harvey Potter." Ron laughed, and the twins hd identical evil smile across their faces.

"Well, Harrykins."

"Looks like we."

"Now have a few."

"More names to call you by."

"Once-"

"Or twice-"

"Or all summer long."

They smirked and Harry laughed, not noticing the outraged look on his mothers face. This man didn't even know his own nephews name?

**There was no point in worrying Mrs. Dursley; she always got so upset at any mention of her sister. He didn't blame her - if he'd had a sister like that...**

A tear fell don Lily's eyes, and Prongs pulled her into his embrace, while most in the hall looked outraged.

**But all the same, those people in cloaks... He found it a lot harder to concentrate on drills that afternoon and when he left the building at five o'clock, he was still so worried that he walked straight into someone just outside the door.**

"And he survived?"

"Say it aint so!" the twins called, laughter erasing some of the pain in Lily's eyes.

**"Sorry, " he grunted,**

"He has actual manners?" Ginny gasped, causing several to snicker.

**as the tiny old man stumbled and almost fell. It was a few seconds before Mr. Dursley realized that the man was wearing a violet cloak. He didn't seem at all upset at being almost knocked to the ground. On the contrary, his face split into a wide smile and he said in a squeaky voice that made passersby stare,**

"Filius, was that you?" Minerva asked.

Flitwick blushed, and she groaned.

**"Don't be sorry, my dear sir, for nothing could upset me today! Rejoice, for You-Know-Who has gone at last! Even Muggles like yourself should be celebrating, this happy, happy day!"**

"That day..." Minerva, Dumbledore, Remus, and, in a whisper, Snape said sadly while many others cheered, beaming at Harry before seeing the dark look on his face as he looked down at the table.

**And the old man hugged Mr. Dursley around the middle and walked off. Mr. Dursley stood rooted to the spot. He had been hugged by a complete stranger. He also thought he had been called a Muggle, whatever that was. He was rattled. He hurried to his car and set off for home, hoping he was imagining things, which he had never hoped before, because he didn't approve of imagination.**

"Lily, seriously, how the hell are you related to these people?" Prongs asked.

She shrugged, not responding.

**As he pulled into the driveway of number four, the first thing he saw - and it didn't improve his mood -was the tabby cat he'd spotted that morning. It was now sitting on his garden wall. He was sure it was the same one; it had the same markings around its eyes.**

Several eyes turned to Professor McGonagell, who stared back sternly, causing the gazes to drop.

**"Shoo!" said Mr. Dursley loudly. The cat didn't move. It just gave him a stern look.**

"Tha'ts Minnie for you." Prongs said, causing several to laugh.

**Was this normal cat behavior? Mr. Dursley wondered. Trying to pull himself together, he let himself into the house. He was still determined not to mention anything to his wife.**

**Mrs. Dursley had had a nice, normal day. She told him over dinner all about Mrs. Next Door's problems with her daughter and how Dudley had learned a new word ("Won't!").**

"Terrible parenting skills.." Pamona muttered. Fudge, Umbridge, and Percy where all scowling. There was nothing on Potter yet, it was becoming infuriating.

**Mr. Dursley tried to act normally.**

**When Dudley had been put to bed, he went into the living room in time to catch the last report on the evening news:"And finally, bird-watchers every where have reported that the nation's owls have been behaving very unusually today. Although owls normally hunt at night and are hardly ever seen in daylight, there have been hundreds of sightings of these birds flying in every direction since sunrise. Experts are unable to explain why the owls have suddenly changed their sleeping pattern. " The newscaster allowed himself a grin. "Most mysterious. And now, over to Jim McGuffin with the weather. Going to be any more showers of owls tonight, Jim?"**

**"Well, Ted, " said the weatherman, "I don't know about that, but it's not only the owls that have been acting oddly today. Viewers as far apart as Kent, Yorkshire, and Dundee have been phoning in to tell me that instead of the rain I promised yesterday, they've had a downpour of shooting stars!**

"Do they want to be discovered?" Minerva scoffed.

**Perhaps people have been celebrating Bonfire Night early - it's not until next week, folks! But I can promise a wet night tonight. "Mr. Dursley sat frozen in his armchair. Shooting stars all over Britain? Owls flying by daylight? Mysterious people in cloaks all over the place? And a whisper, a whisper about the Potters...**

"He's actually-"

"Connecting the pieces."

"Were doomed!" the twins cried together, causing several to laugh and Mrs. Weasley to glared.

**Mrs. Dursley came into the living room carrying two cups of tea. It was no good. He'd have to say something to her. He cleared his throat nervously. "Er - Petunia, dear - you haven't heard from your sister lately, have you?"As he had expected, Mrs. Dursley looked shocked and angry. After all, they normally pretended she didn't have a sister.**

"Petunia.." Lily cried, and Prongs held her closer while Harry put his arm on his mothers shoulder. Several people growled, including Snape, which caused the staff to look at him with curiosity.

**"No, " she said sharply. "Why?"**

**"Funny stuff on the news, " Mr. Dursley mumbled. "Owls... Shooting stars... And there were a lot of funny-looking people in town today... ""So?" snapped Mrs. Dursley. "Well, I just thought... Maybe... It was something to do with... You know... Her crowd."**

"Her crowd!" several roared.

"These are the people that raised you Potter? Its a miracle your not a Wizard hater." Malfoy scoffed.

Several people looked at him, slightly confused, before Umbridge continued, slightly annoyed herself at the antics of the filthy Muggles but pleased at the thought that they might make Potter's life hell.

**Mrs. Dursley sipped her tea through pursed lips. Mr. Dursley wondered whether he dared tell her he'd heard the name "Potter. "**

"He's a bloody coward." someone called out.

**He decided he didn't dare. Instead he said, as casually as he could, "Their son -he'd be about Dudley's age now, wouldn't he?"**

**"I suppose so, " said Mrs. Dursley stiffly.**

**"What's his name again? Howard, isn't it?"**

**"Harry. Nasty, common name, if you ask me."**

"No one asked you!" Ron huffed.

"I think its a lovely name." Ginny cooed, and Harry felt himself blushing. Several on that table snickered, and Cho and Michael Corner both glared, Cho at Ginny and Michael at Harry.

**"Oh, yes, " said Mr. Dursley, his heart sinking horribly. "Yes, I quite agree. "**

**He didn't say another word on the subject as they went upstairs to bed. While Mrs. Dursley was in the bathroom, Mr. Dursley crept to the bedroom window and peered down into the front garden. The cat was still there.**

"Professor, why are you stalking the Dursleys?" Freddie asked innocently.

"Read, Dolores, please." Minerva ignored him and Umbridge continued.

**It was staring down Privet Drive as though it were waiting for something. Was he imagining things?**

"You have no imagination." Fred scoffed.

**Could all this have anything to do with the Potters? If it did... If it got out that they were related to a pair of - well, he didn't think he could bear it.**

"The feelings mutual." Harry hissed.

**The Dursleys got into bed. Mrs. Dursley fell asleep quickly but Mr. Dursley lay awake, turning it all over in his mind. His last, comforting thought before he fell asleep was that even if the Potters were involved, there was no reason for them to come near him and Mrs. Dursley. The Potters knew very well what he and Petunia thought about them and their kind...**

Snuffles barked loudly, attracting many eyes.

**He couldn't see how he and Petunia could get mixed up in anything that might be going on - he yawned and turned over - it couldn't affect them...**

**How very wrong he was.**

"How I wish he was right about that one.." Harry groaned. Snape shot him a look, and realization dawned on him. Of course, Potter always craved attention, something the Dursley's obviously starved the brat of(since they where obviously close minded, considering from the clues etched out in the text before them), which is why he hated it so much there; because there, they didn't stare at him, eyes didn't shoot up and gape at his scar. No, he was perfectly normal in their home, and that was why he hissed their names with venom.

**Mr. Dursley might have been drifting into an uneasy sleep, but the cat on the wall outside was showingno sign of sleepiness. It was sitting as still as a statue, its eyes fixed unblinkingly on the far corner of Privet Drive. It didn't so much as quiver when a car door slammed on the next street, nor when two owls swooped overhead. In fact, it was nearly midnight before the cat moved at all.**

"Defiantly you, Minnie." Prongs called.

**A man appeared on the corner the cat had been watching, appeared so suddenly and silently you'd have thought he'd just popped out of the ground. The cat's tail twitched and its eyes narrowed. Nothing like this man had ever been seen on Privet Drive. He was tall, thin, and very old, judging by the silver of his hair and beard, which were both long enough to tuck into his belt.**

**He was wearing long robes, a purple cloak that swept the ground, and high-heeled, buckled boots. His blue eyes were light, bright, and sparkling behind half-moon spectacles and his nose was very long and crooked, as though it had beenbroken at least twice. This man's name was Albus Dumbledore.**

Several people cheered.

**Albus Dumbledore didn't seem to realize that he had just arrived in a street where everything from his name to his boots was unwelcome.**

"Of course I did, I just didn't care." Dumbledore spoke for the first time thought the entire book. Lily's eyes narrowed as she stared at him. So, it was Dumbledore that left Harry in the grip of the bloody Dursley's...

**He was busy rummaging in his cloak, looking for something. But he did seem to realize he was being watched, because he looked up suddenly at the cat, which was still staring at him from the other end of the street. For some reason, the sight of the cat seemed to amuse him. He chuckled and muttered, "I should have known. "**

**He found what he was looking for in his inside pocket. It seemed to be a silver cigarette lighter. He flickedit open, held it up in the air, and clicked it. The nearest street lamp went out with a little pop. He clicked it again - the next lamp flickered into darkness. Twelve times he clicked the Put-Outer,**

"Cool, Dad's Deluminatore!" Hugo called before being smacked by his sister.

"My- What?" Ron asked, confused.

Rose glared at her brother while half the hall stared, transfixed.

"Oops.." Hugo whispered and Rose shook her head at him.

"Continue, Umbridge." Keyro commanded, and several jumped, forgetting he was there since he had not spoken once since the beggining of the book.

**until the only lights left on the whole street were two tiny pinpricks in the distance, which were the eyes of the cat watching him.**

"Cat's eyes reflect light, they don't produce it and can't shine if there isn't any." Hermione said.

"Maybe it was full moon." a Ravenclaw mused, none noticing Remus shifting uncomfortably in his seat at the words save Tonks, who put her hand on his shoulder, causing warmth to radiate through him as he smiled up at her.

**If anyone looked out of their window now, even beady-eyed Mrs. Dursley, they wouldn't be able to see anything that was happening down on the pavement. Dumbledore slipped the Put-Outer back inside his cloak and set off down the street toward number four, where he sat down on the wall next to the cat. He didn't look at it, but after a moment he spoke to it.**

**"Fancy seeing you here, Professor McGonagall. "**

"I knew it!" Prongs called out and Minerva rolled her eyes, smiling at him.

**He turned to smile at the tabby, but it had gone. Instead he was smiling at a rather severe-looking woman who was wearing square glasses exactly the shape of the markings the cat had had around its eyes. She, too, was wearing a cloak, an emerald one. Her black hair was drawn into a tight bun. She lookeddistinctly ruffled.**

**"How did you know it was me?" she asked.**

**"My dear Professor, I 've never seen a cat sit so stiffly. "**

**"You'd be stiff if you'd been sitting on a brick wall all day, " said Professor McGonagall.**

"Why where you sitting on a brick wall all day, Professor?" George asked innocently. She ignored him.

"Annoying when she does that, isn't?" Prongs told him, laughing.

"Hem, hem!"

**"All day? When you could have been celebrating? I must have passed a dozen feasts and parties on myway here. "**

**Professor McGonagall sniffed angrily. "Oh yes, everyone's celebrating, all right, " she said impatiently. "You'd think they'd be a bit more careful, but no - even the Muggles have noticed something's going on. It was on their news. " She jerked her headback at the Dursleys' dark living-room window. "I heard it. Flocks of owls... Shooting stars... Well, they're not completely stupid.**

"I believe Harry's uncles begs to differ on that account." Fred said, earning several snorts.

**They were bound to notice something. Shooting stars down in Kent - I'll bet thatwas Dedalus Diggle. He never had much sense. "**

**"You can't blame them, " said Dumbledore gently. "We've had precious little to celebrate for eleven years. "**

"Eleven years.." Lily shivered. That's how long the war lasted?

**"I know that, " said Professor McGonagall irritably. "But that's no reason to lose our heads. People are being downright careless, out on the streets in broad daylight, not even dressed in Muggle clothes, swapping rumors. "She threw a sharp, sideways glance at Dumbledore here, as though hoping he was going to tell her something, but he didn't, so she went on. "A fine thing it would be if, on the very day YouKnow-Who seems to have disappeared at last,**

"He is dead!" Fudge hissed.

"Who are you?" Teddy asked.

"I am Cornelius Oswald Fudge, Minis-"

"Oh, the guy that went down as the worst Minister in Wizarding History." James spat, glaring at him.

"What?" Fudge said indignantly.

"Everyone hates you." Freddie supplied.

"Yeah, your practically an outcast in our time." Albus continued.

"Because your the reason-" Lils began.

"Enough!" Keyro hissed, causing the kids from the future to become silent, but still glare fiercely at Fudge while Umbridge became outraged. The dirty little liars!

**the Muggles found out about us all. I suppose he really has gone, Dumbledore?"**

**"It certainly seems so, " said Dumbledore. "We have much to be thankful for. Would you care for a lemondrop?"**

"Those are my favorite!" Al beamed at his namesake.

**"A what?"**

**"A lemon drop. They're a kind of Muggle sweet I'm rather fond of"**

**"No, thank you, " said Professor McGonagall coldly, as though she didn't think this was the moment for lemon drops.**

"Because it wasn't, Albus!" Minerva shirked, and some looked at her in confusion as she glared at Dumbledore, who shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Snape raised his eyebrows at this.

**"As I say, even if You-Know-Who has gone - "**

**"My dear Professor, surely a sensible person like yourself can call him by his name? All this 'You-Know-Who' nonsense - for eleven years I have been trying to persuade people to call him by his proper name:**

Umbridge stopped, looking up. "It says the- the na-

The book zoomed from her hand into Keyro's, who read in a clear voice,

**Voldemort. " Professor McGonagall flinched,**

Along with most of the hall, prompting Harry to shout out, "Its just a bloody name!"

"Harry, don't swear!" his mother reprimanded.

"Proud of you." Prongs beamed, and Lily glared at him, "About the saying the name, not the swearing!" he said quickly causing many to laugh.

The book then zoomed back to Umbridge, and she continued.

**but Dumbledore, who was unsticking two lemon drops, seemed not to notice.**

Harry glared at Dumbledore for this. The day his parents died, he was sitting there, sucking on sweets, without a care in the world?

**"It all gets so confusing if we keep saying 'You-Know-Who. ' I have never seen any reason to be frightened of saying**

Umbridge stopped, and glared at Dumbledore. "Say the name, Dolores!" Keyro hissed loudly, she gave him a glare, which he returned, causing her to squirm in fear before she continued. There was a dark look in those eyes that told her he was not one to mess with...

**Voldemort's**

She stuttered as several people flinched, including Ron, which caused the those from the future to look at him funny.

**name."**

**"I know you haven 't, said Professor McGonagall, sounding half exasperated, half admiring. "But you're different. Everyone knows you're the only one You-Know-oh, all right, Voldemort**(flinch)**, was frightened of. "**

**"You flatter me, " said Dumbledore calmly. "Voldemort had powers I will never have. "**

**"Only because you're too - well - noble to use them. "**

**"It's lucky it's dark. I haven't blushed so much since Madam Pomfrey told me she liked my new earmuffs. "**

Several people snickered, while Minerva and Madam Pomfrey glared at him.

**Professor McGonagall shot a sharp look at Dumbledore and said, "The owls are nothing next to the rumors that are flying around. You know what everyone's saying? About why he's disappeared? About what finally stopped him?"It seemed that Professor McGonagall had reached the point she was most anxious to discuss, the realreason she had been waiting on a cold, hard wall all day, for neither as a cat nor as a woman had she fixed Dumbledore with such a piercing stare as she did now. It was plain that whatever "everyone" was saying, she was not going to believe it until Dumbledore told her it was true. Dumbledore, however, was choosinganother lemon drop and did not answer.**

**"What they're saying, " she pressed on, "is that last night Voldemort turned up in Godric's Hollow. He went to find the Potters.**

Several people shot Harry sympathetic looks(which he ignored, much to Snape' surprise) while Prongs pulled Lily closer to him again and Scorpius(to every ones surprise) did the same with Lils.

"Son.. Let go of that filthy blood tra-"

SMACK.

All eyes shot up, looking as Scorpius loomed over his father, red in the face, Malfoy on the ground, blood trickling down from his lip.

"Draco!" Narcissa bent down, helping her son stand as he glared viciously at his own child.

"What the he-?"

"Call Lily a blood traitor one more time, and I swear dad, I'm going to-"

"Enough." Dumbledore declared. The two Malfoy's glared at each other, venom in their eyes, ending with Scorpius sitting and Draco and Narcissa moving away from the rest and most of the hall in transfixed stares at Scorpius.

**The rumor is that Lily and James Potter are - are - that they're - dead. "**

Lily whimpered, breaking from her husbands embrace and instead embracing her son, while Ginny squeezed Harry's hand and Hermione put hers on his shoulder.

"Stop it, please.." he told them, and they let him go, "I don't want any pity.." he muttered, looking away. He didn't deserve any, and he knew it.

**Dumbledore bowed his head. Professor McGonagall gasped. "Lily and James... I can't believe it... I didn't want to believe it... Oh, Albus... "Dumbledore reached out and patted her on the shoulder.**

**"I know... I know... " he said heavily. Professor McGonagall's voice trembled as she went on.**

**"That's not all. They're saying he tried to kill thePotter's son, Harry. But - he couldn't. He couldn't kill that little boy. No one knows why, or how, butthey're saying that when he couldn't kill Harry Potter, Voldemort's power somehow broke - and that's why he's gone."**

At this, those from the past gasped and stared, transfixed, at Harry.

"You defeated Voldemort?" Frank asked.

Harry simply nodded, looking away.

"I'm so proud of you." Prongs told him, and Harry looked up, a weak smile on his face.

**Dumbledore nodded glumly. "It's - it's true?" faltered Professor McGonagall. "After all he's done... All the people he's killed... Hecouldn't kill a little boy? It's just astounding... Of all the things to stop him... But how in the name of heaven did Harry survive?"**

**"We can only guess, " said Dumbledore. "We may never know. "**

At this, Harry snorted. Several people looked to him in confusion, before he spoke, "Lieing already, I see." he shot a glace up at the Headmaster while several people gasped in surprise, though Dumbledore ignored all the looks he got.

"How did you-" Lily began.

"Leave him, he cannot answer, here, now. It will be revealed by the end of the book." Keyro spoke, before motioning a fuming Umbridge to continue. She had hoped for dirt o Potter. Instead, all that had happened was nearly everyone in the hall looking with sympathy at the little demon.

**Professor McGonagall pulled out a lace handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes beneath her spectacles. Dumbledore gave a great sniff as he took a golden watch from his pocket and examined it. It was a very odd watch. It had twelve hands but no numbers; instead, little planets were moving around the edge. It must have made sense to Dumbledore, though, because he put it back in his pocket and said,**

**"Hagrid'slate. I suppose it was he who told you I'd be here, by the way?"**

**"Yes, " said Professor McGonagall. "And I don't suppose you're going to tell me why you're here, of all places?"**

"So it was your bloody idea, thanks for making my life _hell_, Dumbledore!" Harry hollered in anger, his face contorting in rage. His scar burned with a savage fire as the words left his lips, and it took every ounce of restraint to keep his hand from shooting up at it. Dumbledore flinched.

"Harry.." Ginny said softly, taking his hand, causing him to feel the same warm feeling inside him again, calming him down as he smiled at her, while his parents exchanged dark looks with Remus, wondering what the hell the Durselys did..

**"I've come to bring Harry to his aunt and uncle. They're the only family he has left now. "**

**"You don't mean - you can't mean the people who live here?" cried Professor McGonagall, jumping to her feet and pointing at number four. "Dumbledore - you can't. I've been watching them all day. You couldn't find two people who are less like us. And they've got this son - I saw him kicking his mother all the way up the street, screaming for sweets. Harry Potter come and live here!"**

**"It's the best place for him, " said Dumbledore firmly.**

"Best? I'm sure you meant to say worst, Professor." Harry spat bitterly. James, Albus, and Lily looked at each other fearfully. There dad was usually even tempered, yet right now.. Ron and Hermione looked at each other, worried, while everyone else stared at the dark look in Harry's eyes.

**"His aunt and uncle will be able to explain everything to him when he's older. I've written them a letter. "**

"A LETTER!" Lily, James, Remus, Mrs. Weasley, Ron, Hermione, all of those from the future, and most of the hall roared at Dumbledore, who squirmed.

**"A letter?" repeated Professor McGonagall faintly, sitting back down on the wall. "Really, Dumbledore, you think you can explain all this in a letter? These people will never understand him! He'll be famous - a legend -**

"Annoyingly enough.." Harry said in a carrying voice. Snape looked astounded.

**I wouldn't be surprised if today was known as Harry Potter day in the future - there will be books written about Harry**

"Hmmm maybe like this one?" Freddie asked innocently.

**- every child in our world will know his name!"**

**"Exactly, " said Dumbledore, looking very seriously over the top of his half-moon glasses. "It would be enough to turn any boy's head. Famous before he can walk and talk! Famous for something he won't even remember! Can't you see how much better off he'll be, growing up away from all that until he's ready to take it?"**

"Yet of all the bloody people out there.. You choose _them.."_ Harry hissed darkly.

**Professor McGonagall opened her mouth, changed her mind, swallowed, and then said, "Yes - yes, you're right, of course. But how is the boy getting here, Dumbledore?" She eyed his cloak suddenly asthough she thought he might be hiding Harry underneath it.**

Several people scoffed.

**"Hagrid's bringing him. ""You think it - wise - to trust Hagrid with something as important as this?"**

"I would trust Hagrid with my life!" Harry, James, and Prongs called.

On the staff table, Hagrid beamed.

**"I would trust Hagrid with my life, " said Dumbledore.**

"And now it has the Dumbledore seal of approval." Freddie declared.

**"I'm not saying his heart isn't in the right place, " said Professor McGonagall grudgingly, "but you can't pretend he's not careless. He does tend to - what was that?"A low rumbling sound had broken the silence around them. It grew steadily louder as they looked up anddown the street for some sign of a headlight; it swelled to a roar as they both looked up at the sky - and a huge motorcycle fell out of the air and landed on the road in front of them.**

"Dad's bike!" James cheered, while Harry's eyes shot up at him.

"My bike?"

"You mean you don't have it yet, dad? You used to take us up for rides while mum was busy." James laughed, before Lils smacked him.

"Mum's in this room!" she hissed, while Lily and Hermione both reprimanded, "Harry!" they screeched, glaring at him.

"Haven't done it yet!" he pleaded, causing several to snicker.

**If the motorcycle was huge, it was nothing to the man sitting astride it. He was almost twice as tall as anormal man and at least five times as wide. He looked simply too big to be allowed, and so wild - long tangles of bushy black hair and beard hid most of his face, he had hands the size of trash can lids, and hisfeet in their leather boots were like baby dolphins.**

"The book actually makes Hagrid sound scary." Al laughed.

"Well, he does look scary when you first meet him, actually." Scorpius confessed and James laughed at him.

"Was little Malfoy scared of the big bad man?" he teased, causing Scorpius to blush.

"Leave him alone, prat." Lils hissed.

Albus narrowed his eyes in suspicion, before scoffing. Scorpius was his best mate, surely he'd know better than to go out with his sister?

**In his vast, muscular arms he was holding a bundle of blankets.**

**"Hagrid, " said Dumbledore, sounding relieved. "At last. And where did you get that motorcycle?"**

**"Borrowed it, Professor Dumbledore, sit, " said the giant,**

"Hagrid's not a giant, Harry." Hermione told him.

"I didn't write this!" Harry replied.

**climbing carefully off the motorcycle as he spoke. "Young Sirius Black**

Several people growled and Snuffles barked at them, causing them to look at the dog in wonder while the Harry, Hermione, Fred, George, Ginny and Remus burst out laughing.

**lent it to me. I've got him, sir. "**

**"No problems, were there?"**

**"No, sir - house was almost destroyed, but I got him out all right before the Muggles started swarmin'around. He fell asleep as we was flyin' over Bristol."**

"Awwwwww..." the girls cooed and Harry blushed slightly, causing the kids from the future to snort.

**Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall bent forward over the bundle of blankets. Inside, just visible, wasa baby boy, fast asleep. Under a tuft of jet-black hair over his forehead they could see a curiously shaped cut, like a bolt of lightning.**

Several eyes shot up towards Harry, who, though he knew it to be in vain, attempted to flatten his hair over the scar, causing his friends to laugh.

"Not gonna work, son." Prongs told him.

**"Is that where -?" whispered Professor McGonagall. "Yes, " said Dumbledore. "He'll have that scar forever. "**

**"Couldn't you do something about it, Dumbledore?"**

**"Even if I could, I wouldn't. Scars can come in handy. I have one myself above my left knee that is aperfect map of the London Underground.**

"Is that true, sir?" a first year Ravenclaw asked.

Dumbledore merely chuckled while several of the older students looked like they didn't want to know..

**Well - give him here, Hagrid - we'd better get this over with. "Dumbledore took Harry in his arms and turned toward the Dursleys' house.**

**"Could I - could I say good-bye to him, sir?" asked Hagrid. He bent his great, shaggy head over Harry and gave him what must have been a very scratchy, whiskery kiss.**

Several people laughed at Harry's face and Hagrid blushed.

**Then, suddenly, Hagrid let out a howl like awounded dog.**

Snuffles barked loudly.

**"Shhh!" hissed Professor McGonagall, "you'll wake the Muggles!"**

**"S-s-sorry, " sobbed Hagrid, taking out a large, spotted handkerchief and burying his face in it. "But I c-c-can't stand it - Lily an' James dead - an' poor little Harry off ter live with Muggles - "**

Lily looked down sadly, but this time, she didn't whimper. She was here with her son, wasn't she?

**"Yes, yes, it's all very sad, but get a grip on yourself, Hagrid, or we'll be found, " Professor McGonagall whispered, patting Hagrid gingerly on the arm as Dumbledore stepped over the low garden wall and walked to the front door. He laid Harry gently on the doorstep,**

"You... Left him.. On... The.. Damn... Doorstep!" Lily roared.

**took a letter out of his cloak, tucked it inside Harry's blankets, and then came back to the other two. For a full minute the three of them stoodand looked at the little bundle; Hagrid's shoulders shook, Professor McGonagall blinked furiously, and the twinkling light that usually shone from Dumbledore's eyes seemed to have gone out.**

Harry shot up an apprehensive look at Dumbledore, knowing what that meant, and trying to understand why.

**"Well, " said Dumbledore finally, "that's that. We've no business staying here. We may as well go and jointhe celebrations. "**

"Celebrations!" several voices echoed across the hall, Prongs and Lily glared at Dumbledore, whoom had suddenly found the tablecloth atern extremly intresting.

**"Yeah, " said Hagrid in a very muffled voice, "I'll be takin' Sirius his bike back. G'night, ProfessorMcGonagall - Professor Dumbledore, sir. " Wiping his streaming eyes on his jacket sleeve, Hagrid swung himself onto the motorcycle and kicked theengine into life; with a roar it rose into the air and off into the night.**

**"I shall see you soon, I expect, Professor McGonagall, " said Dumbledore, nodding to her. Professor McGonagall blew her nose in reply. Dumbledore turned and walked back down the street. On the corner he stopped and took out the silver Put-Outer. He clicked it once, and twelve balls of light sped back to their street lamps so that Privet Drive glowed suddenly orange and he could make out a tabby cat slinking around the corner at the other end ofthe street. He could just see the bundle of blankets on the step of number four.**

**"Good luck, Harry, " he murmured. He turned on his heel and with a swish of his cloak, he was gone. A breeze ruffled the neat hedges of Privet Drive, which lay silent and tidy under the inky sky, the very lastplace you would expect astonishing things to happen. Harry Potter rolled over inside his blankets without waking up.**

**One small hand closed on the letter beside him and he slept on, not knowing he was special, not knowing he was famous, not knowing he would be woken in a few hours' time by Mrs. Dursley's scream as she opened the front door to put out the milk bottles, nor that he would spend the next few weeks being prodded and pinched by his cousin Dudley... He couldn't know that at this very moment, people meeting in secret all over the country were holding up their glasses and saying in hushed voices: "To HarryPotter - the boy who lived!"**

"That's it.." Umbridge finished, putting the book down and shooting a glare at Keyro. Where were Potter's filthy lies, proof of his malevolent attention seeking manias?

"Harry, how did m sister treat you?" Lily asked. Harry gave his mum a quick look, and sighed.

"You'll have to read to find out.." he told her.

She bit her lip, and nodded, while Harry sat there, hoping with all his heart, that the next chapter would miraculously start of on Platform 9 and 3/4.

"Who would like to read next?" Umbridge asked, her voice no longer falsely sweet at not getting what she wanted.

"I will." Minerva sighed, taking it from her and opening up the page.

A/N; I reread some of this and I noticed it sounds like their bashing Dumbledore for part of it. This fic isn't a Dumbledore bashing one, though he might get yelled at several times for some of the things he does(he won't be the only one, but, since he is the first to have someone yell at him, I decided to put this A/N here) Please review!


	3. The Vanishing Glass

**_"The Vanishing Glass"_**

**Nearly ten years had passed since the Dursleys had woken up to find their nephew on the front step, but Privet Drive had hardly changed at all.**

Minerva read and Harry groaned loudly, attracting a few looks. From the title, he knew his chapter would depict his home life...

"Can we skip this, please?" he asked.

His children exchanged looks; what was dad hiding?

"May I ask why, Mr. Potter?" Minerva said.

"Because-"

"Because one of his dirty little lies is about to be revealed! Continue, Minerva!" Umbridge said, excited, her toad like features gleaming in anticipation, causing most of the student population to look away, slightly disgusted. Minerva gave Harry a stern look, before continuing. Harry groaned and felt Ginny taking his hand again, the warm feeling seeping back into his stomach as he smiled at her.

**The sun rose on the same tidy front gardens and lit up the brass number four on the Dursleys' front door; it crept into their living room, which was almost exactly the same as it had been on the night when Mr. Dursley had seen that fateful news report about the owls.**

"Don't change much, do they?" Dean mused from the Gryffindor table. Meanwhile, half the Slytherin table, Snape, Fudge, Percy and Umbridge where sitting, relishing in the moment, about to expose Potter as the brat he truly was.

**Only the photographs on the mantel piece really showed how much time had passed. Ten years ago, there had been lots of pictures of what looked like a large pink beach ball wearing different-colored bonnets -**

"Beach balls?" Ron said, confused.

"Wait for it." Harry said, holding in a laugh.

**but Dudley Dursley was no longer a baby,**

Many roared out laughing, while others looked concerned at the poor boys health.

**and now the photographs showed a large blond boy riding his first bicycle, on a carousel at the fair, playing a computer game with his father, being hugged and kissed by his mother. The room held no sign at all that another boy lived in the house, too.**

Minerva looked up, staring at Harry.

"What does that mean, Harry?" Lily asked, her eyes narrowing.

Harry looked up at his mother, and whispered something so low no one heard.

"What?" Hermione asked.

"Just keep reading!" he shouted, fixing his eyes on the table, anger building up in him at the memories of all the hell he had been out through.. Those on the central table, save Malfoy and Narcissa, interchanged dark looks.

**Yet Harry Potter was still there, asleep at the moment, but not for long. His Aunt Petunia was awake andit was her shrill voice that made the first noise of the day. "Up! Get up! Now!"**

"Lovely wake up call." Fred said.

**Harry woke with a start. His aunt rapped on the door again. "Up!" she screeched.**

**Harry heard her walking toward the kitchen and then the sound of the frying panbeing put on the stove. He rolled onto his back and tried to remember the dream he had been having.**

"Was it-?"

"I started having those this year, Ron. And, by comparison to the rest of the strange dreams I've had over the years, this one was pretty normal for me." Harry told him, while others looked confused.

**It had been a good one. There had been a flying motorcycle in it.**

Snuffles barked joyfully, and Harry ruffled his ears, grinning.

"That wasn't a dream, Uncle Ha-" Rose put her hand over her brothers mouth all to late, the damage was done.

"Uncle?" Harry asked, incredulous.

Thinking quickly, Albus intervened; "Well, since you and Uncle Ron have been so close over the years, we started calling him Uncle Ron and they," he pointed to Rose and Hugo, "Started calling you Uncle to." Albus lied.

"Oh.." Harry said slowly. He had assumed, for a fleeting second, that he had married Ginny, which while he thought she was cute and all- wait, what? _She's Ron's sister!_ he though viciously.

Arthur and Molly, however, exchanged looks, wondering if the boy had lied. But, why would he? Ginny herself had shot up hopefully, something neither Micheal nor Cho missed, both of who scowled, and Ron had a red tinge breaking across his face that he held in, accepting Albus' words. Harry might be crazy, but even he wouldn't make a move on his best friends sister.

**He had a funny feeling he'd had the same dream before. His aunt was back outside the door.**

**"Are you up yet?" she demanded.**

**"Nearly, " said Harry.**

**"Well, get a move on, I want you to look after the bacon. And don't you dare let it burn, I want everythingperfect on Duddy's birthday. "Harry groaned. "What did you say?" his aunt snapped through the door.**

"Harry, how old are you?"

"Fifteen, I thought you'd know that by now, Hermi-"

"You know what I meant, prat." she slapped his arm playfully and he grinned, before scowling, looking back at the table.

"Ten.." he muttered.

"Ten! And she's making you cook?" Lily asked, enraged.

"I've been cooking for the Dursleys since I could walk.." Harry muttered, and she shot a death glare at Dumbledore who did his best to ignore said glare. It wasn't working.. Dumbledore felt guilt breaking at his ancient heart.

**"Nothing, nothing... " Dudley's birthday - how could he have forgotten? Harry got slowly out of bed and started looking for socks. He found a pair under his bed and, after pulling a spider**

"Harry..." Ron moaned.

"Sorry.." Harry said, not really paying attention, wondering how they where going to react to discovering where he had spent the better part of then years within a cupboard.

**off one of them, put them on. Harry was used to spiders, because the cupboard under the stairs was full of them, and that was where he slept.**

At these words, Minerva's voice shook with anger, as she set the book down, silence so in the hall that you could have heard a pin falling to the floor, before suddenly-

"What the hell!" Prongs roared, standing up and looking livid.

"A cupboard? They made you SLEEP IN A CUPBOARD!" Lily roared.

Snape was in shock. They didn't pamper him, and if not that, didn't even treat him like a normal boy every time he was there? They treated him like crap, they shut him away from them, they treated him.. Treated Potter like his own father had treated _him..._

Minerva glared angrily at Dumbledore, who had the decency to look ashamed. He had guessed they would treat Harry poorly, assumed they would look at him as if he was the dirt beneath their feet, but even he was surprised and shocked at how badly they truly treated the boy. He had expected better of Petunia.. Come to think of it, the Petunia he remembered would never have done something like this.. Of course, he had known they couldn't have physically harmed the boy there(the protections of the place endowed on Harry where viciously powerful, tough he supposed outside of the house, it wouldn't work that way). He barely even noticed the shouts directed his way.

"Harry, why didn't you ever tell us about this?" Hermione asked him, while Snuffles was growling angrily and Remus' eyes gave out a dangerous yellow tinge that Teddy noticed, immediately placing his hand on his fathers shoulder and squeezing, though he himself was outraged.

"Mate.. I knew it was bad.. But.."

Harry stood, and, roaring at the top of his lungs, ended the chatter and the screams his parents, and even a few of the teachers, kept sending Dumbledore's way. "ENOUGH!" he bellowed, red in the face. Silence fell and they all looked at him. "It's over and done, nothing can change what happened, alright? Now please, all of you, calm down! I don't want.. I don't need your pity.. I don't deser-"

"Harry James Potter, you are a great person and I don't care what you say, I have every right to be fuming at what they did to you." Ginny said as she stood, her eyes dancing with flames in a way that made Harry's insides squirm in a way he was unfamiliar with.

He nodded at her, "I know, Ginny.. Please, everyone, settle down, lets get this over with..." Harry said, looking over to Minerva with pleading eyes as he sat down. Ginny huffed, and did the same, and, angrily, Minerva picked the book back up and continued where she had left of.

**When he was dressed he went down the hall into the kitchen. The table was almost hidden beneath all Dudley's birthday presents. It looked as though Dudley had gotten the new computer he wanted, not to mention the second television and the racing bike.**

"He gets all that crap while your forced to live in a cupboard!" George hissed, before turning to Fred, taking out a piece of parchment. They began scribbling furiously, and even Molly was to over herself with rage to do anything.

**Exactly why Dudley wanted a racing bike was a mystery to Harry, as Dudley was very fat and hated exercise - unless of course it involved punching somebody.**

"That better not mean you, Harry.." Bill said, anger rolling through his body. These people where, in his opinion, the worst of the worst.

**Dudley's favorite punching bag was Harry,**

Several people growled.

**but he couldn't often catch him. Harry didn't look it, but he was very fast. Perhaps it had something to do with living in a dark cupboard, but Harry had always been small and skinny for his age.**

"Nope, James was the same when he was your age- a scrawny little git." Remus teased.

"OI!" Harry and Prongs yelled, grinning, exactly what Remus was aiming for.

**He looked even smaller and skinnier than he really was because all he had to wear were old clothes of Dudley's, and Dudley was about four times bigger than he was.**

Several people hissed, but a look from Harry was all that was needed to keep them from shouting again.

**Harry had a thin face, knobbly knees, black hair, and bright green eyes.**

"Your mother's eyes.." James had a goofy grin on his face at the mention of them, and Lily smiled at him, blushing slightly at the dreamy look on his face. Snape felt as if knives where being plunged into his heart.

**He wore round glasses held together with a lot of Scotch tape because of all the times Dudley had punched him on the nose. The only thing Harry liked about his own appearance was a very thin scar on his forehead that was shaped like a bolt of lightning.**

"You _liked_ that thing?" both Ron and Hermione asked, astounded.

"It was the only thing I had that was really mine, the only thing I had that Dudley didn't.. It made me feel.. Special, in a way, made me feel like I had something of my own.." Harry replied, and the astounded looks became those of sympathy, and Harry looked away.

Meanwhile, Bill was looking all around him. Since the last chapter there had been a constant hissing sound and he was trying to find the source, it sounded almost like a leak from a cauldron. Then, and he felt like hitting himself when he realized this, he found the noise was emanating from Fleur, who was muttering incoherently under her breath in anger in rapid French, her lips barely moving as her dazzling eyes shined in anger. He out an arm around her, and the French girl leaned into his embrace.

**He had had it as long as he could remember, and the first question he could ever remember asking his Aunt Petunia was how he had gotten it.**

**"In the car crash when your parents died, " she had said.**

"Lily and James Potter, die in a CAR CRASH!" Moody roared, his magical eye spinning fast, some under the impression that anything near his vicinity might explode.

**"And don't ask questions. "Don't ask questions - that was the first rule for a quiet life with the Dursleys.**

"How can you possibly survive without asking questions?" Terry Boot called, astounded at the utter crime of forcing someone into such a thing. Several Ravenclaws nodded their head, and even Professor Flitwick looked slightly riled.

**Uncle Vernon entered the kitchen as Harry was turning over the bacon. "Comb your hair!" he barked, by way of a morning greeting.**

"Leave my son alone!" Lily screeched, her face crimson.

**About once a week, Uncle Vernon looked over the top of his newspaper and shouted that Harry needed a haircut. Harry must have had more haircuts than the rest of the boys in his class put together, but it made no difference, his hair simply grew that way - all over the place.**

"Ah, the Potter hair." Prongs grinned.

"James, your hair wasn't messy naturally, it was messy because you constantly messed it up." Remus laughed, smiling at the memories, and Prongs grinned, along with Harry, happy at the information about his parents.

"Well, I think it makes you look even cuter, Harry. Your messy hair, I mean." Cho called from the Ravenclaw table, wanting to get all thoughts of a certain red head out of his. Harry blushed crimson and felt his stomach do a back flip as he looked over at her, and she winked.

Fred and George snickered at this, and the kids from the future exchanged looks; who the hell was hitting up Dad/Uncle Harry?

**Harry was frying eggs by the time Dudley arrived in the kitchen with his mother. Dudley looked a lot like Uncle Vernon. He had a large pink face, not much neck, small, watery blue eyes, and thick blond hair that lay smoothly on his thick, fat head. Aunt Petunia often said that Dudley looked like a baby angel -**

Prongs scoffed. "More like a baby pig."

**Harry often said that Dudley looked like a pig in a wig.**

Prongs beamed at his son, and they high-fived.

**Harry put the plates of egg and bacon on the table, which was difficult as there wasn't much room. Dudley, mean while, was counting his presents. His face fell. "Thirty-six, " he said, looking up at his mother and father. "That's two less than last year. "**

"What a spoiled brat!" to everyone's surprise, it was Malfoy who uttered these words, and Scorpius beamed a him. Maybe these books would make his dad turn around sooner?

"Who are you and what have you done with the real Draco Malfoy." Astoria smirked as he blushed and several people started laughing.

**"Darling, you haven't counted Auntie Marge's present, see, it's here under this big one from Mommy and Daddy. "**

**"All right, thirty-seven then, " said Dudley, going red in the face. Harry, who could see a huge Dudley tantrum coming on, began wolfing down his bacon as fast as possible in case Dudley turned the table over.**

"What a zerrible child!" Fluer screeched, and for the first time in Harry's memory, he thought he could see the echo of a transformed Veela in her eyes.

Several people nodded to her words.

**Aunt Petunia obviously scented danger, too, because she said quickly, "And we'll buy you another two presents while we're out today. How's that, pop kin? Two more presents. Is that all right''**

"She's just encouraging the behavior!" Snape sneered, causing Lily, and those from the past, to finally notice him.

"Severus?" Lily asked softly.

He pointedly looked away, not being able to stand seeing the pain in her eyes, the pain he had placed there.

"Continue, Minerva, if you please." Keyro said kindly, while Harry sat there wondering why his mum called Snape 'Severus'.

**Dudley thought for a moment. It looked like hard work. Finally he said slowly, "So I'll have thirty... Thirty... "**

"He can't even count!" Hermione yelled, infuriated. Ron caught himself staring at her a second to long, then looked away. What the hell? What was this weird feeling that kept moving through him every time he set eyes on his _best friend?_

**"Thirty-nine, sweetums, " said Aunt Petunia.**

**"Oh. " Dudley sat down heavily and grabbed the nearest parcel. "All right then. "**

**Uncle Vernon chuckled. "Little tyke wants his money's worth, just like his father. 'Atta boy, Dudley!"**

No one spoke this time, to shocked at the statement.

**He ruffled Dudley's hair.**

**At that moment the telephone rang and Aunt Petunia went to answer it while Harry and Uncle Vernon watched Dudley unwrap the racing bike, a video camera, a remote control airplane, sixteen new computer games, and a VCR. He was ripping the paper off a gold wristwatch when Aunt Petunia came back from thetelephone looking both angry and worried.**

**"Bad news, Vernon, " she said. "Mrs. Figg's broken her leg. She can't take him. " She jerked her head in Harry's direction.**

"Mrs. Figg? As is Arbe-"

"Yes, Dumbledore had her stalking me for the past fifteen years." Harry told his mother before she even finished.

"What?" half the hall erupted, eyes shooting up in Dumbledore's direction.

"Apparently, he doesn't believe I can take care of my self, so he-"

"Harry, hold your tongue for now. A moment for everything." Keyro told him, and Harry nodded.

**Dudley's mouth fell open in horror, but Harry's heart gave a leap. Every year on Dudley's birthday, hisparents took him and a friend out for the day, to adventure parks, hamburger restaurants, or the movies. Every year, Harry was left behind with Mrs. Figg, a mad old lady**

Those who knew her burst out laughing, hard.

"Ahh, you gotta admit, she's mad but down right hilarious when shes in a temper." Prongs.

"Tell me about it." Harry laughed, and his parents wondered when Harry had seen her angered..

**who lived two streets away. Harry hated it there. The whole house smelled of cabbage and Mrs. Figg made him look at photographs of all the cats she'd ever owned.**

"Why would she treat you like that?" Alice said, surprised.

"If the Dursleys knew I actually enjoyed it there, there'd be no way in hell that they'd let me go back." Harry replied, causing several people to growl and even a few Slytherins to look uncomfortable.

**"Now what?" said Aunt Petunia, looking furiously at Harry as though he'd planned this.**

"Everything was always my fault.." Harry muttered, looking down at the table. Ginny squeezed his hand, which she had been holding ever since he sat back down, and he smiled at her. She had a way of making him feel.. He didn't know ho to describe it. Percy's eyes narrowed as he caught the gesture. The last thing his delusional family needed was for Harry Potter to start dating his sister..

**Harry knew he ought to feel sorry that Mrs. Figg had broken her leg, but it wasn't easy when he reminded himself it would be a whole year before he had to look at Tibbles, Snowy, Mr. Paws, and Tufty again.**

"Harry.." His mum reprimanded.

"Sorry, I was just excited." Harry replied.

**"We could phone Marge, " Uncle Vernon suggested.**

Harry, Ron, Fred, George, and Ginny all burst out laughing at this.

"Harry, when-"

"Third year Ron, third year." Harry replied through his laughter while Hermione looked outraged.

"It wasn't funny, it was-"

"Bloody brlli-"

"George Weasley!" Molly barked and the boy cowered, ending the laughter as she glared. Feeling it was safe to continue, Minerva picked up the book and found where she had left of.

**"Don't be silly, Vernon, she hates the boy. "**

"Do they ever use your name?" Remus growled.

"I didn't even know what my name was until I started school." Harry replied, causing several people, including a few Slytherins, to growl.

"What?" a third year Slytherin said as Pansy Parkinson stared at him, the eyes on her pug-like face narrowed. "No one deserves that, not even Potter."

Snape silently agreed though he said nothing.

Umbridge was slowly growing more angry. Instead of a dirty little secret, they had uncovered evidence of child neglect and Potter was gaining sympathy.

**The Dursleys often spoke about Harry like this, as though he wasn't there - or rather, as though he was something very nasty that couldn't understand them, like a slug.**

Snuffles growled loudly.

**"What about what's-her-name, your friend - Yvonne?"**

**"On vacation in Majorca, " snapped Aunt Petunia.**

**"You could just leave me here, " Harry put in hopefully (he'd be able to watch what he wanted on television for a change and maybe even have a go on Dudley's computer).**

Malfoy looked at Harry in surprise. "That was very.. Slytherin of you, Potter." he said reluctantly.

"He's a Gryffindor all the way!" Prongs declared, then turned back to his boy, "Right, son?" he smiled.

"Of course." Harry beamed back, though he, and Albus, both wondered how the rest would react when they discovered Harry had almost been placed in Slytherin..

**Aunt Petunia looked as though she'd just swallowed a lemon. "And come back and find the house in ruins?" she snarled.**

**"I won't blow up the house, " said Harry, but they weren't listening.**

"No, he'll save that one for later.." Ginny whispered, causing Harry to laugh out loud and others to look at Harry in confusion, though for once, he failed to notice it as a grin was painted over his face as he stared at Ginny, who laughed, their eyes meeting and both of them finding themselves lost in each others gaze before they both suddenly looked away, blushing, causing Bill, Charlie, and Percy to narrow their eyes at Harry.

**"I suppose we could take him to the zoo, " said Aunt Petunia slowly, "... And leave him in the car... "**

"He's not a dog!" Lily huffed and Snuffles glared at her with his best puppy face. "Sorry snuffles.." she muttered, petting him, causing the teenagers on the central table to laugh(those who knew it was Sirius) and the rest of the population to stare in wonder.

**"That car's new, he's not sitting in it alone... "**

"These people have no intelligence whatsoever, Harry is a wonderful person." Ginny said, and Harry felt himself blushing, while Cho and Micheal looked slightly outraged.

**Dudley began to cry loudly. In fact, he wasn't really crying - it had been years since he'd really cried -but he knew that if he screwed up his face and wailed, his mother would give him anything he wanted.**

**"Dinky Duddydnms,**

The hall roared out with savage laughter, all anger forgotten.

"Little-"

"Itty-"

"Diddy-"

"Dinky"

"Duddy-"

"Dyms" the twins said, causing a few people to roll of their chairs in laughter, some with tears in their eyes, and even the Slytherin's where smirking

**don't cry, Mummy won't let him spoil your special day!" she cried, flinging her arms around him. "I... Don't... Want... Him... T-t-to come!" Dudley yelled between huge, pretend sobs. "He always sp-spoilseverything!" He shot Harry a nasty grin through the gap in his mother's arms.**

The laughter instantly died and everyone, with the sole exception of Fudge, Percy, and (her face lit in delight) Umbridge not glaring viciously at the book. This may draw sympathy to Potter, but at least she relished in the fact that he suffered so.

**Just then, the doorbell rang -**

**"Oh, good Lord, they're here!" said Aunt Petunia frantically - and a moment later, Dudley's best friend, Piers Polkiss, walked in with his mother. Piers was a scrawny boy with a face like a rat.**

Ron hissed loudly, and Hermione put her hand on his shoulder, squeezing it slightly while others looked in confusion. He always reacted badly know when he w=heard the word _rat_.

**He was usually the one who held people's arms behind their backs while Dudley hit them. Dudley stopped pretending to cry at once. Half an hour later, Harry, who couldn't believe his luck, was sitting in the back of the Dursleys' car with Piers and Dudley, on the way to the zoo for the first time in his life. His aunt and uncle hadn't been able to think of anything else to do with him, but before they'd left, Uncle Vernon had taken Harry aside. "I'm warning you, " he had said, putting his large purple face right up close to Harry's,**

"Ugh!" Freddie and James both said loudly, causing many to laugh and Fred and George to beam at the two boys.

**"I'm warning you now, boy - any funny business, anything at all - and you'll be in that cupboard from now until Christmas. "**

Several people growled. "Will you all please stop!" Harry stood, exasperated. "Look, its not that I don't appreciate it, but they're going to keep this up, trust me, just please, hold it back?" he asked, and some nodded. Harry sighed, sitting back down.

**"I'm not going to do anything, " said Harry, "honestly.." But Uncle Vernon didn't believe him. No one ever did.**

"Reminds me of someone." Harry hissed, glaring at Snape, causing both his parents to narrow their eyes.

**The problem was, strange things often happened around Harry and it was just no good telling the Dursleys he didn't make them happen. Once, Aunt Petunia, tired of Harry coming back from the barbers looking as though he hadn't been at all, had taken a pair of kitchen scissors and cut his hair so short he was almost bald except for his bangs, which she left "to hide that horrible scar. "**

"Harry, please let me come over to your house this summer..." Ginny pleaded, itching to curse the Dursleys.

"Ginevra Molly Weasley, you will not curse anyone!" Molly glared, a thing Ginny returned.

"Mum, we both know that their only safe from your wrath as long as there's a good five miles in between."

Molly opened her mouth to retaliate when Minerva decided it best to continue, lest it escalate.

**Dudley had laughed himself silly at Harry, who spent a sleepless night imagining school the next day, where he was already laughed at for his baggy clothes and taped glasses. Next morning, however, he had gotten up to find his hair exactly as it had been before Aunt Petunia had sheared it off.**

"The Potter genes!" Prongs called, causing Snape to scowl.

**He had been given a week in his cupboard for this, even though he had tried to explain that he couldn't explain how it had grown back so quickly.**

"Petunia knows about accidental magic.." Lily growled, and Harry wondered how she would react when she found out they had tried to 'stamp it out of him'.

**Another time, Aunt Petunia had been trying to force him into a revolting old sweater of Dudley's (brown with orange puff balls) -**

"Ugh.." several people shuddered.

**The harder she tried to pull it over his head, the smaller it seemed to become, until finally it might have fitted a hand puppet, but certainly wouldn't fit Harry. Aunt Petunia had decided it must have shrunk in the wash and, to his great relief, Harry wasn't punished.**

"Really thick, isn't she!" Seamus laughed, along with several others.

**On the other hand, he'd gotten into terrible trouble for being found on the roof of the school kitchens.**

"Harry James Potter, what-"

"Escaping a gang of lumbering giants that wanted to use me as a punching bag." Harry interrupted his mothers question. Harry felt something sparkling in the air, and turned to look at Hermione, the air around her cackling in energy as she attempted to calm herself. He put his hand on her shoulder, and she looked up, eyes dancing malevolently, and at his gaze, she calmed down considerably before Harry pulled her into a quick brother-sister hug.

"It's okay, they didn't do anything to me.." Harry muttered, not noticing the looks of jealousy flashing on Cho and Ron's face, nor a Micheal that was grinning like an idiot, who shot a glare at Ginny to see if she was looking at jealously, and (he wasn't sure if this was good or bad) saw her smiling at the two.

"I know... It just.. Oh Harry.." she sighed, and he let her go. She groaned as she fixed her glare on the table again, most of her anger now ebbed away.

**Dudley's gang had been chasing him as usual when, as much to Harry's surprise as anyone else's, there he was sitting on the chimney.**

"You _apparated!_" Tonks exclaimed, while everyone else looked at Harry in wonder and some of the teachers exchanged looks. That was some powerful accidental magic if he really did apparate..

Several people looked at him, impressed. "I guess." Harry said, shrugging it of as it was nothing.

"Almost the exact same words he told us when we asked him if he was famous for killing Voldemort.." Albus whispered.

"Dads insane, he _hates _attention." James simply said, and both Albus and Lils rolled their eyes.

**The Dursleys had received a very angry letter from Harry's headmistress telling them Harry had been climbing school buildings. But all he'd tried to do (as he shouted at Uncle Vernon through the locked door of his cupboard)**

"Gryffindor..." Snape muttered. No Slytherin in their right mind would yell at a captor at such a crucial moment, even if they where right, because the captor would only treat them worse.

Minerva glared at him before continuing, catching on to his train of thought.

**was jump behind the big trash cans outside the kitchen doors. Harry supposed that the wind must have caught him in mid-jump.**

Several people burst out laughing. "I was eight!" Harry called, grinning.

**But today, nothing was going to go wrong. It was even worth being with Dudley and Piers to be spending the day somewhere that wasn't school, his cupboard, or Mrs. Figg's cabbage-smelling living room. While he drove, Uncle Vernon complained to Aunt Petunia. He liked to complain about things: people at work, Harry, the council, Harry, the bank, and Harry were just a few of his favorite subjects.**

"Harry,"

"We think,"

"He really, really,"

"Likes you.." The twins said together, anger in their voices as they continued scribbling. Harry was glad that at the moment, his name was not Vernon nor Dudley, and wondered what Fred and George where planing.

**This morning, it was motorcycles. "... Roaring along like maniacs, the young hoodlums, " he said, as a motorcycle overtook them.**

**"I had a dream about a motorcycle, " said Harry, remembering suddenly. "It was flying. "**

"Harry.." several people groaned, others laughed. Harry blushed.

_He looks cute when that happens_, Ginny thought, staring at him, something that didn't go unnoticed by Cho nor Micheal.

"You look really cute when you blush." Cho called and Harry felt himself becoming even redder. Ginny repressed a huff as James, Lils, and Albus exchanged angered looks, something that didn't go unnoticed by Lily nor Remus.

**Uncle Vernon nearly crashed into the car in front. He turned right around in his seat and yelled at Harry, his face like a gigantic beet with a mustache: "MOTORCYCLES DON'T FLY!"Dudley and Piers sniggered.**

**"I know they don't, " said Harry. "It was only a dream. " But he wished he hadn't said anything. If there was one thing the Dursleys hated even more than his asking questions, it was his talking about anything acting in a way it shouldn't, no matter if it was in a dream or even a cartoon - they seemed to think he might get dangerous ideas.**

"Please, he comes up with those on a regular basis." Ginny teased. "He doesn't need anything else to give them to him."

Lily and Prongs exchanged looks.

"Oh yeah?" Harry asked, grinning, "Since when?"

"Hmm.. Lets see.." Ginny said slowly.

"You attempted to wrestle a troll and shoved your wand up its nose.." Hermione teased.

"WHAT!" Lily and Prongs exclaimed.

"You decided to hunt down a mass murder.." Ginny said.

"_He_ was after _me, _not the other way around!" Harry countered, grinning at his friends.

"You challenged a vicious man eating three headed dog." Ron added.

Lily and Prongs paled more and more at the mention of each feat, shocked.

"Hey! I did not challenge that dog!" Harry exclaimed, laughing.

"You went down into the-"

"Enough." Keyro said.

"We are going to have a talk after this is over, young man." Lily hissed. Behind her back, Prongs gave Harry a stern look, but when she looked away, he beamed at him and Harry couldn't help but grin.

**It was a very sunny Saturday and the zoo was crowded with families. The Dursleys bought Dudley and Piers large chocolate ice creams at the entrance and then, because the smiling lady in the van had asked Harry what he wanted before they could hurry him away, they bought him a cheap lemon ice pop. It wasn't bad, either, Harry thought, licking it as they watched a gorilla scratching its head who looked remarkably like Dudley,**

Several people laughed.

"I take it back!" Harry called, and people looked at him, astounded. "That's an insult to the gorilla."

"Harry, you need to go pranking with us." Fred told him through his laughter.

"What! You don't go pranking?" Prongs looked crestfallen.

"He's more like Lily, James." Remus told him and Prongs pouted, causing Harry to laugh and Snuffles to bark out a laugh.

**except that it wasn't blond. Harry had the best morning he'd had in a long time. He was careful to walk a little way apart from the Dursleys so that Dudley and Piers, who were starting to get bored with the animals by lunchtime, wouldn't fall back on their favorite hobby of hitting him.**

Most of the hall growled. Umbridge, who had recently been happy at the mistreatment Potter received at the hands of these Muggles, was now scowling deeply. This wasn't working, they where all feeling sympathy for the boy!

**They ate in the zoo restaurant, and when Dudley had a tantrum because his knickerbocker glory didn't have enough ice cream on top, Uncle Vernon bought him another one and Harry was allowed to finish the first.**

**Harry felt, afterward, that he should have known it was all too good to last. After lunch they went to the reptile house. It was cool and dark in there, with lit windows all along the walls. Behind the glass, all sorts of lizards and snakes were crawling and slithering over bits of wood and stone. Dudley and Piers wanted to see huge, poisonous cobras and thick, man-crushing pythons. Dudley quickly found the largest snake in the place. It could have wrapped its body twice around Uncle Vernon's car and crushed it into a trash can -**

"I seriously doubt that." Someone from the Ravenclaw Table said, believing it to be an exaggeration.

**but at the moment it didn't look in the mood. In fact, it was fast asleep. Dudley stood with his nose pressed against the glass, staring at the glistening brown coils. "Make it move, " he whined at his father. Uncle Vernon tapped on the glass, but the snake didn't budge. "Do it again, " Dudley ordered. Uncle Vernon rapped the glass smartly with his knuckles, but the snake just snoozed on.**

"The boy orders the father around.." Minerva growled before continuing.

**"This is boring, " Dudley moaned. He shuffled away. Harry moved in front of the tank and looked intently at the snake. He wouldn't have been surprised if it had died of boredom itself - no company except stupid people drumming their fingers on the glass trying to disturb it all day long. It was worse than having a cupboard as a bedroom, where the only visitor was Aunt Petunia hammering on the door to wake you up; at least he got to visit the rest of the house.**

"Your comparing yourself.. To a snake." Ron laughed.

"Mhhm.." Harry said absentmindedly, wondering how they would react to knowing he was a Parselmouth. Ron and Hermione shot each other concerned looks.

**The snake suddenly opened its beady eyes. Slowly, very slowly, it raised its head until its eyes were on alevel with Harry's. It winked.**

"What?" Susan Bones asked, surprised.

Ernie lifted his head, remembering second year; Potter was a Parselmouth..

**Harry stared. Then he looked quickly around to see if anyone was watching. They weren't. He looked backat the snake and winked, too. The snake jerked its head toward Uncle Vernon and Dudley, then raised its eyes to the ceiling. It gave Harry a look that said quite plainly:"I get that all the time."**

"_Your a blood Parselmouth!_" Prongs exclaimed, jumping up away from his son in surprise.

Several people gasped and Umbridge and Fudge exchanged triumphant looks. A Parselmouth. Exactly what they needed to paint the picture of a Harry Potter obsessed with the dark arts and cavorting in dark magic.

"Yeah, so?" Harry demanded, standing defiantly, though on the inside, it felt like something was breaking in him; of course, he should have known his parents would hate him.. The Durseleys had already thought him how worthless he truly was, and the years had proved it more as people tended to end up in life threatening situations around him...

"There's nothing wrong with that, right, James." Lily said, ice in her voice as she glared, raising her eyebrows.

"Aha, Mister Potter!" Umbridge declared, standing up(though it made almost no difference), "Proof that you, even at such a young age, cavorted with snakes! They thought you dark magic, didn't they, thought you-"

"Are you effing out of your mind." Prongs interrupted, looking to shocked to scream.

Lily, however, had no problem with that as half the hall glared incredulously at the toad. "HOW DARE YOU INSINUATE THAT MY CHILD IS A DARK WIZARD, HOW DARE YOU SIT HERE AND RIDICULE HIM! I SWEAR, ONE MORE WORD-" she looked livid, and, filled with fear, the Toad quickly sat as quickly as she could, toppling over in the process. Lily smirked, then turned back to her son. "There's nothing wrong with that Harry." she smiled at him, and he smiled back.

"I'm just wondering how he can speak it.." Prongs mused. "It passes through blood, and none of my ancestors cou-"

"ENOUGH." Keyro voice echoed through the hall. Minerva took the opportunity to continue as the others sat back down, a few looking at Harry fearfully.

**"I know, " Harry murmured through the glass, though he wasn't sure the snake could hear him. "It must be really annoying. "The snake nodded vigorously. "Where do you come from, anyway?" Harry asked.**

**The snake jabbed its tail at a little sign next to the glass. Harry peered at it. Boa Constrictor, Brazil. "Was it nice there?"The boa constrictor jabbed its tail at the sign again and Harry read on: This specimen was bred in the zoo. "Oh, I see - so you've never been to Brazil?"As the snake shook its head, a deafening shout behind Harry made both of them jump.**

**"DUDLEY! MR. DURSLEY! COME AND LOOK AT THIS SNAKE! YOU WON'T BELIEVE WHAT IT'S DOING!"**

"Git." several voices uttered, along with a few other choicer words.

**Dudley came waddling toward them as fast as he could. "Out of the way, you, " he said, punching Harry in the ribs.**

"Harry... Keep me away from your relatives, or I-AM-GOING-TO-KILL-THEM!" Hermione hissed.

"Or," Ron said slowly, glanced at Malfoy, and smirked as he continued, "You could give him a good smack."

The three burst out laughing at Malfoy's face, who was blushing crimson.

**Caught by surprise, Harry fell hard on the concrete floor. What came next happened so fast no one saw how it happened - one second, Piers and Dudley were leaning right up close to the glass, the next, they had leapt back with howls of horror. Harry sat up and gasped; the glass front of the boa constrictor's tank had vanished.**

"That's my boy!" Prongs cheered, and Harry grinned.

"If only you showed that talent in class, Potter." Minerva said, causing Harry to cast out an innocent look, before she continued.

**The great snake was uncoiling itself rapidly, slithering out onto the floor.**

"Aha! Releasing a snake on innocent mu-"

"STUPEFY!" Lily screamed, the red light striking Umbridge and literally tossing her backwards, smashing her against the wall.

"Dolores!" Fudge screamed as he, and several of the staff, went forward to help her while the rest of the hall stared transfixed at the livid Lily.

Prongs clapped silently, and soon, the entire hall was cheering loudly. Lily blushed as she sat down, Minerva smiling at her before she continued. Needless to say, the Toad decided it best not to speak for the remainder of the chapter.

**People throughout the reptile house screamed and started running for the exits. As the snake slid swiftly past him, Harry could have sworn a low, hissing voice said, "Brazil, here I come... Thanksss, amigo. "**

**The keeper of the reptile house was in shock. "But the glass, " he kept saying, "where did the glass go?"**

**The zoo director himself made Aunt Petunia a cup of strong, sweet tea while he apologized over and over again. Piers and Dudley could only gibber. As far as Harry had seen, the snake hadn't done anything except snap playfully at their heels as it passed,**

Several people laughed. "That's all it did Potter? And you wonder why they where sca-" Malfoy never finished as Astoria smacked him upside the head, causing him to glare at her while the hall burst out laughing.

"Brilliant!" several voices echoed as Malfoy glared at the smirking Astoria.

**but by the time they were all back in Uncle Vernon's car, Dudley was telling them how it had nearly bitten off his leg, while Piers was swearing it had tried to squeeze him to death.**

"Drama queens."

**But worst of all, for Harry at least, was Piers calming down enough to say, "Harry was talking to it, weren't you, Harry?"**

Several people groaned, while Umbridge personally felt joy in the fact that they would punish him.

**Uncle Vernon waited until Piers was safely out of the house before starting on Harry. He was so angry he could hardly speak. He managed to say, "Go - cupboard - stay - no meals, " before he collapsed into a chair, and Aunt Petunia had to run and get him a large brandy.**

**Harry lay in his dark cupboard much later, wishing he had a watch. He didn't know what time it was and he couldn't be sure the Dursleys were asleep yet. Until they were, he couldn't risk sneaking to the kitchen for some food.**

"Harry!"

"They wouldn't feed me, mum!"

She sighed. "Fine.."

**He'd lived with the Dursleys almost ten years, ten miserable years, as long as he could remember, ever since he'd been a baby and his parents had died in that car crash.**

"Another of the many lies I've been told." Harry said loudly, glaring at Dumbledore, who, as usual, pretended Harry did not exist

**He couldn't remember being in the car when his parents had died. Sometimes, when he strained his memory during long hours in his cupboard, he came up with a strange vision: a blinding flash of green light and a burning pain on his forehead.**

Several eyes looked to Harry, wide and shocked.

"You.. You remember that?" Prongs said slowly.

Not looking at his father, Harry nodded.

**This, he supposed, was the crash, though he couldn't imagine where all the green light came from. He couldn't remember his parents at all. His aunt and uncle never spoke about them, and of course he was forbidden to ask questions. There were no photographs of them in the house.**

"I didn't even know your names.." Harry muttered.

Lily looked like she was ready to break down again at her sister's cruelness, and Ginny squeezed Harry's hand. He didn't look up, but smiled, feeling the pain leaving him instantaneously.

**When he had been younger, Harry had dreamed and dreamed of some unknown relation coming to takehim away, but it had never happened; the Dursleys were his only family.**

Prongs glanced and Snuffles, and wondered why Sirius hadn't been there..

**Yet sometimes he thought (or maybe hoped) that strangers in the street seemed to know him. Very strange strangers they were, too. A tiny man in a violet top hat had bowed to him once while out shopping with Aunt Petunia and Dudley. After asking Harry furiously if he knew the man, Aunt Petunia had rushed them out of the shop without buying anything. A wild-looking old woman dressed all in green had waved merrily at him once on a bus. A bald man in a very long purple coat had actually shaken his hand in the street the other day and then walked away without a word.**

Fred and George gasped loudly.

"Maybe they're-"

"Wizards, young-"

"Harrykins" they said together in a mystical imitation of Treleway, and he rolled his eyes at them.

**The weirdest thing about all these people was the way they seemed tovanish the second Harry tried to get a closer look. At school, Harry had no one. Everybody knew that Dudley's gang hated that odd Harry Potter in his baggy old clothes and broken glasses, and nobody liked to disagree with Dudley's gang.**

Hermione growled loudly at that one. She knew perfectly well what that was like, and felt a pang of hatred towards this Dudley.

"That's it.." Minerva finished, putting the book down, glared at Dumbledore for a few seconds, before turning back to the rest of them. "Who would like to read next?" she asked.

"I will, I guess." Ernie called, still feeling slightly bad about accusing Potter of being the Heir of Slytherin second year. Minerva levitated the book to him, and he opened it up, and opened it to the third chapter, and, clearing his throat, he read, **_"Chapter Three, The Letters From No One"_**


End file.
